429 Too Many Requests

What is HTTP 429?

This status code indicates that the user has exceeded the rate limit imposed by the server. Rate limiting protects servers from being overwhelmed by excessive requests, whether from aggressive clients, automated scripts, or denial-of-service attempts. The response should include a Retry-After header telling the client how long to wait before making another request.

Defined in RFC 6585

Common Causes

• Automated scripts or bots sending requests faster than the allowed rate
• Multiple rapid API calls that exceed the per-minute or per-second rate limit
• Shared IP addresses where multiple users contribute to the same rate limit counter
• Aggressive polling or retry loops that do not respect backoff timing

How to Fix

• Check the Retry-After header and wait the specified time before sending more requests
• Implement exponential backoff in your retry logic to space out requests
• Reduce your request frequency or batch multiple operations into fewer API calls
• Contact the API provider to request a higher rate limit if your use case requires it